First Build, Critique?

[JEDIYoda]

I want to make sure that it stays cool so the life of the entire system is prolonged. For two of the EVGA 770s, 1000 watts is too much?

no it is not too much!!

 

[Volganofe]

Definitely change out your SSD, since you don't know what one you'll get. For only a few bucks more, you can get the Crucial M500, which will be worlds better if your luck would have been to get the async V300 variant.

You're right, Larry even mentioned that the V300's were junk.. So I'll pick up M500 instead..

 

[Essence_of_War]

I always chuckle when people say things like that is PSU overkill..well duh...let him get what he wants!
Technically it is not overkill!!

I never said that OP shouldn't get what they want.

But if they come here looking for build advice on a budget for a particular purpose, it would be silly of me not to tell them where they could save money to get the most effective components for their money.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I was under the impression that CoolMax PSUs were overspecced, and to avoid. Any reason not to get an Antec, XFX, SeaSonic, or Corsair?

Also, I'll be honest, I don't have any experience building with a closed-loop water cooler, but it shouldn't be too hard, should it? Just attach the CPU plate, and find a nearby 120mm fan mount to mount the Rad, right?

Edit: Also, OP, what OS are you planning on running? Because Win7 Home Premium only allows 16GB of RAM. You have to move up to Win7 Pro, or Win8/8.1 to utilize more RAM.

 

[VirtualLarry]

CPU Cooler Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid $64.99

I didn't read all of the Newegg reviews on this item, but I saw a recurring theme of "loud".
Might want to consider if it's going to make your PC loud.

Can anyone else that uses this CL-LC system comment?

 

[Essence_of_War]

I decided to go with a 1000w PSU so I have room to upgrade in the future.

I disagree with this sentiment.

What I see you doing is trading off a quality unit that puts out the power you need, for a lower quality unit with a higher power "rating". I would recommend either spending the money and getting a good quality 1 kW unit (a rosewill capstone, any rebranded seasonic, etc) or getting a good quality appropriately spec'd PSU.

I am HIGHLY suspicious of a $90 1kW PSU.

 

[Volganofe]

I was under the impression that CoolMax PSUs were overspecced, and to avoid. Any reason not to get an Antec, XFX, SeaSonic, or Corsair?

Also, I'll be honest, I don't have any experience building with a closed-loop water cooler, but it shouldn't be too hard, should it? Just attach the CPU plate, and find a nearby 120mm fan mount to mount the Rad, right?

Edit: Also, OP, what OS are you planning on running? Because Win7 Home Premium only allows 16GB of RAM. You have to move up to Win7 Pro, or Win8/8.1 to utilize more RAM.

I'll spend the extra money to get a better quality SSD and a better PSU.. I think Microcenter has a few Corsair PSUs on sale actually so it worked out for me. As for the installation of the collog unit, you've got it right (I believe). The hardest part of the water cooling is flushing the radiator, which isn't complicated. I'm fully aware of the maximum memory on each OS and I am in a debate whether I am going to use 7 Pro/Ult or 8.1..

 

[VirtualLarry]

As for the installation of the collog unit, you've got it right (I believe). The hardest part of the water cooling is flushing the radiator, which isn't complicated.

I'm really not sure if that is required or possible with a sealed closed-loop cooler such as that one. No res, to flush air out of the system.

 

[mfenn]

Okay folks, I took you suggestions and for $200 less I am going to get a lot more machine than what I had before.. I appreciate the help, and I'm going to be picking the parts on Wednesday/Thursday.

Total: $1453.68

CPU Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core $179.99
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid $64.99
Motherboard Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 $134.78
Memory Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $139.99
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $139.99
Storage Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" SSD $69.99
Video Card MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB $259.99
MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB $259.99
Wireless Network Adapter TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 $14.99
Case Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower $99.99
Power Supply CoolMax 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V $88.99

I have an optical and hard drive at my house I will use, if I decide not to, I will pick one up.. If you guys have any more suggestions on this new build which I have put together I'll take your advice! Like I said, if not, I'm picking this stuff up Wednesday from Microcenter. I decided to go with a 1000w PSU so I have room to upgrade in the future. I've been finding it pretty unlikely that I'll be streaming my games so I think an i5 will do just find (and you can't beat the price for the CPU/Mobo package). I know the RAM is overkill, and the two 760s are overkill but I really want to play at %200 resolution

OK, there are a lot of issues with this build.

1. CoolMax PSUs are absolute junk, do not buy. You are getting a 600W unit marked up to 1000W.
2. The SSD is way below what you should be looking at in terms of performance as others have mentioned.
3. 32GB of RAM is pointless for a gaming rig.
4. SLI on two midrange GPUs is just asking for frame pacing issues.

I'd make the following changes:

- SSD: M500 120GB $82
- GPU: MSI GTX 780 $480
- RAM: Drop to one 16GB kit
- PSU: Switch to a quality unit like the Rosewill Hive 650W for $50 AR AP

 

[Essence_of_War]

4. SLI on two midrange GPUs is just asking for frame pacing issues.

This.

You might consider SLI with 770's but probably not with 760's. Especially not if you're only gaming at 1920x1080/1200.

SLI just for the sake of SLI is not a great use of money.
SLI when you need it to hit higher FPS at higher res makes sense.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, OP got his computer purchased and assembled. I hope he comes back and fills us in on the details. I gave him some minor assistance over the phone while he was putting the final pieces together. He had yet to put the video card in, I hope that went well. I think that he said he got a 780ti. Very nice.

Edit: I believe he said he did get the 32GB of RAM. Overkill? Maybe. But he's happy with it.

 

[krnmastersgt]

I'm really not sure if that is required or possible with a sealed closed-loop cooler such as that one. No res, to flush air out of the system.

They actually have small reservoirs integrated into the radiators, and while they are mostly self sufficient, it is actually recommended to drain and re-fill them with coolant once a year or so. Not something people come across often but I've seen that recommended quite frequently. The amount of work though for most people with the <$70 CLCs are probably just going to replace the whole thing than attempt to flush and refill themselves.

And while pretty late to mention in regards to the initial motherboard choice, I'm rocking one right now and I don't have too many issues with it. I think my board might have some slight issue as it seems rather prone to giving me USB port issues but I do have it fully loaded on back and front panel ports already (I miss my Formula since it had 4 more than this one) and have to play around with the BIOS settings some more but good quality board from a name I still trust thoroughly. Also matches my build aesthetic.

 

[Volganofe]

As Larry said, it's together.. I'll post what I went with in detail and how I like it so far.. I'm currently at work, so I don't have much time to post anything for a few hours.

 

[Volganofe]

Okay the final build is: CLICK ME!

I was at the store and I decided that if I was spending $200+ then I might as well spend a few more bucks to get the i7, so I did. I'm glad I went with it. I've been playing Planetside 2 with the CPU running at about %20 at the highest.

I went with the 32gb of ram, of course it's overkill, but I wanted the WOW factor when I told people the specs of my PC. Plus, sticker price was 179.99 a piece and I got them for 129.99 a piece. Winning.

The motherboard is nice, I can't complain. I will be honest, I couldn't tell the difference between other motherboards. I thought all the connections were placed nicely, allowed for easy install. SLI support, so if I decided to get a second video card.

I decided against the crappy V300 card I selected, and I went with a M500. I also decided against that junk PSU and went with an HX750 and I'm glad I did. Corsair is a good brand. I decided to just go with a single 780ti after looking at the FPS on games I play, versus other cards I was looking at. Dual 780ti would be a beast! But I think I would need a slightly bigger PSU.

I love the case, the design is awesome to me. I didn't want flashy LEDs or a high-tech looking case that is poorly made. I've got four hard drive spots, 2 of which are hot-switch. I can just pop in a drive or pop it out in 2 minutes. As well as the SSD, which I'm using for my OS and any other CPU intensive programs, I have an 1TB HDD with my old Vista OS and all my games, as well as some programs. My third HDD is a 130gb that I salvaged out of an old computer of mine I am used to store some of my media.

I'm very satisfied with the build, and the advice all of you guys gave me on here was fantastic, kudos to VirtualLarry for walking me through a few things when I was setting everything up. Biggest headache I had was mounting the motherboard, before I had mounted the Cooler Master CPU Cooler, that was a mistake but easily fixed. For a first time builder, I thought putting together a PC would be daunting. Here's just a few pics of my PC for you:




EDIT: There's two 120mm fans on the front, pulling air in. I have the CPU cooler setup as a push-pull, directing it out the back with another 120mm fan pulling air out of the back. Behind the case, near the drive slots, I have 2 80mm fans pulling out.

 

[VirtualLarry]

That looks really sweet. I'd say you did an excellent job putting it together too.

You are now leveled up from noob, to PC Builder.

 

[mfenn]

I was at the store and I decided that if I was spending $200+ then I might as well spend a few more bucks to get the i7, so I did. I'm glad I went with it. I've been playing Planetside 2 with the CPU running at about %20 at the highest.

Glad you like it! However, I want to point out that the fact that you're seeing 20% CPU utilization while playing Planetside 2 is a reason not to spend extra money on the i7. The i5 4670K is only a small fraction slower.

 

[Volganofe]

That looks really sweet. I'd say you did an excellent job putting it together too.

You are now leveled up from noob, to PC Builder.

Thanks a lot, ha. I'm glad I'm no longer a noob!

Glad you like it! However, I want to point out that the fact that you're seeing 20% CPU utilization while playing Planetside 2 is a reason not to spend extra money on the i7. The i5 4670K is only a small fraction slower.

Oh, I'm aware that the the i7 is only a tad bit faster.. As I said earlier budget wasn't too much of an issue, so I decided to go i7.